Your Blog Will Not Be Built in a Day.

With WordPress, so many things have been optimized and automated so that blogging and setting up a website seems to be a lot quicker than it use to be back in the 1990s. But, trying to build your blog takes a lot of work, especially the more particular you are about having everything look really good.

For example, first you have to settle on a domain name (which requires ideation, consideration, feasibility, decision, and purchase). Then you have to settle on a WordPress theme (which requires browsing, considering, feasibility, decision, and (possibly) purchase). Then you have to customize the theme, i.e., logo and front page design, widget locations, navigation, footer, and layout. Then you have to install and set your plugins. Then you have to set up your widgets. Then you want to customize the CSS of all the widgets and posts to make sure they look like what you want, and try to find a good looking background image for the whole thing.

Yesterday, for example, I spent several hours just trying to touch-up a photo of the earth and placing it in the background of my blog. It is such a sweet photo. Really cool. But, it never quite fit how I wanted it to, in terms of color and placement. So I scrapped the idea… for now.

I am reminded of the quote, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

The majestic city of ancient times was a marvel of the Western World for many centuries, and was the official seat of the Empire. Yet it took many years to build.

I am finding that the larger a work is, the more likely it is to take long periods of time of consistent work to build. This includes building a blog and growing online partnerships.

So, instead of viewing my online presence as something I need to “slam”, or get everything done immediately, I am coming to think of it as simply needing consistent attention on a day-to-day basis.

Maybe this perspective will help you as well… Instead of thinking of your blog (or project) as something you will accomplish overnight, just try to do something practical and measurable for your blog once a day: Write 1/2 a post. Finish 1 graphic. Integrate 1 new widget.

Better yet, help other people’s blogs. Leave a comment if you come across something interesting on the net. Tell them you appreciate their work. Compliment them on a job well done. (Not only was Rome not built in a day, it was not built by only one person.)